A Slender Chance
by Tkdoegirl
Summary: When Sky Steele met Mr. tall, dark, and dangerous in the woods one day, she knew she was dead. So why was she still alive? "You interest me," he told her. But why? And Sky just can't figure out why she's just as interested in him too.
1. Prologue

**Hello world! This is my first fan fiction. An idea popped into my head one morning and I figured I'd give it a go.**

**I've been told that no one owns Slender man, but just to air on the side of caution I'll just go ahead and say it:**

**I do not own Slender man, Splendor man, Trender man or anything related to them or their legends. I also do not own the game Slender.**

**The other characters and the plot are, however, mine. Enjoy! :D**

**WARNING: this story contains some language. If this is not your thing, don't read please.**

* * *

_Prologue_

I never was one to give any sort of credit to any superstitions. I was always a skeptic, a debunker. I was the person who laughed at horror movies and laughed harder at those who were actually scared.

When the supernatural was finally shoved in my face, I didn't believe it. I took it as a sign of my own waning sanity. _He_ can't exist, can he?

He sure looks real. He sounds real - _feels _real.

Oh God, yes he feels real. Surely, even my fucked up imagination wouldn't be able to come up with something like this? It wouldn't know what feelings like these were.

Was it - was _he_ - possible?

* * *

**Sorry, I know this was a short chapter, but it's just the prologue. Don't worry, there will be more to come ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

The alarm went off at 5 o'clock sharp.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

The red-eyed demonic piece of plastic screamed at me from the counter top. "Ungghh," I groaned.

My dad rolled over and clicked it off. I just lay there, refusing to open my eyes. I didn't want to get up. It was cold, I was tired, it was too early, and my sleeping bag was too comfy.

My dad sighed sleepily. "Time to wake up girly."

I groaned. "You first," I mumbled sleepily.

"Come on Sky." Like a zombie he swung his feet over the side of his bed at the other end if the camper.

Eventually I managed to drag myself out of my make-shift table top bed at the opposite end of the camper. Meanwhile my dad went outside to make coffee while I got dressed in my camouflage overalls.

'I hate overalls,' I thought sourly to myself as I drug them on, instantly getting a wedgie from them. 'Damn,' I cursed to myself, my lack of sleep not helping my mood.

By six we were stalking the through the woods, eventually parting ways so my dad could hunt one deer stand and I could take another one a mile down the path. The sun was slightly hinted at on the horizon with the light pink shade that seeped across the bottom most part of the sky. The birds, taking notice, were starting to awaken and sing. As I finally reached my stand, I set my 30-30 rifle down next to the ladder and unbuckled my pack. I set that down too with my gun and tied the rope hanging from the top of the stand to both. It was hell trying to climb a fifteen foot ladder with all that on your back. The rope was a much appreciated short cut.

I took a deep breath, tasting the dawn air. I loved hunting. I'd been doing it for sport every fall with my dad for as long as I could remember. It was almost a tradition.

I was about to climb the ladder when I heard a noise behind me. That's when I also noticed the birds had quit singing. Slowly I turned around.

And then I saw him.

About fifty feet away from me was a very smartly dressed, milky skinned man. His business suit was the darkest shade of black I'd seen in my life and his red tie could have been painted with blood. His white dress shirt he wore underneath the jacket was crisp white and free of any wrinkles.

And he was tall - taller than anyone I'd ever seen before in my life. From this distance he looked to be about eight feet tall, but knowing my crappy judgement of height, he was probably taller. He was also very skinny, his waist seeming no bigger than mine. His shoulders were broad and pointy, and hanging from them were very long, slender arms that reached down to the man's knees. None of these features were really what caught my attention thought. It was his face.

Or lack there of.

There was an elegant nose in the middle of his face which beneath it there was no mouth. Where eyes would have been there were little dips that slightly suggested eye sockets. There was not a single hair on his head and no ears were visible.

"No way," I whispered in shock, recognizing him instantly. I'd seen the videos. I'd played the games. "You're not real..."

The Slender man made no reply, only stared.


	3. Chapter 2

The first thought that went through my head was, 'Shit, I'm gonna die.'

The second thought was, 'Too bad Charlie's not here to see this. He woulda freaked.'

And third, 'But dammit, he's not even real!'

"So... I finally cracked, huh?" I eventually managed to croak. It was the only logical solution I could come up with - I'd finally gone insane. 'Bout time,' my subconscious sneered at me. I told her to shut up.

Slender man just cocked his head at me. I blinked and suddenly he was gone.

I spun around quickly, scanning the trees around me for the monster. When I found nothing, I waited for my heart rate to slow and allowed myself a small, hesitant chuckle. "Sky, you dumb ass. It's just your eyes playing tricks on you," I said to myself out loud. First seeing things, now talking to myself. Wow, I really was loosing my mind.

I turned, once more to climb the ladder. This time when I heard the noise I didn't even turn around.

"You're not real, you know," I said more to myself than to him.

From no more than ten feet behind me I heard the reply. "I don't know. I feel pretty real to me."

I gasped and turned quickly to face him. "Well of course you would say that if I was imagining you," I tried to reason. Did I just see the twitch of a smile? How? He doesn't even have a mouth...

"Why would you think you're imagining me?" Oh, there's his mouth! When he spoke a split in his face where his mouth would be appeared. His voice was deep and sad sounding. It sounded centuries old. As he spoke, he took a step forward.

"Because you can't be real," I said.

"Yes, you've said that." He sounded annoyed.

"And because I can't die yet."

Okay, now he looked amused. "So what your saying is that the simple fact that you 'can't die yet' automatically makes me a figment of your imagination?" He stepped forward again.

I nodded. "Pretty much."

"I'm surprised you've survive this long already with logic like that." He stepped again.

"Hey!" I protested, "I've grown up in a society that doesn't believe in myths. I can't help it if it's the conclusion I jump to automatically. I've only ever had to deal with humans before not..." I trailed off, not sure what to call the creature that stood before me.

"No excuse." Step. "You know what I think?" Step. "I think you're just saying I'm not real because you're scared." Step. He actually grinned at me, but it was an evil, sharp toothed grin that sent a shiver down my spine. He was now only a couple feet away from me. I had to look almost straight up in order to see his face. He towered over me.

I tried to shrug, but my true fear was getting harder to hide the closer he got. I decided honesty wouldn't be any worse than lying at this point. "It's easier to just avoid things by pretending they're not real ," I explained.

He grinned. "So you _are_ scared?" I didn't reply. Long black tentacles sprouted from Slender man's back. One if them reached down and caressed my cheek. It was smooth and slithery, but surprisingly warm. It sent another chill down my spine. "Just admit it. I can smell the fear on you."

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. Another tentacle wrapped around my waist and a third slithered its way up my wrist. "Feel that human? Does that feel real to you?"

Totally against my will, my traitor mouth let out a whimper. Struggling for control of my own emotions, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. "If your going to kill me, just hurry up and do it." I sighed.

The tentacles lifted me off my feet and brought me till I was eye level with the monster. "I thought you couldn't die yet?" he mocked me.

"Well I don't want to die, no..."

"But?" he prompted.

"But I hate showing weakness, and fear is for the weak," I said matter of fact.

That took him by surprise. "You are a strangle little one indeed," he murmured, and the tentacle stroked my cheek again.

Suddenly making up his mind he set me down and unwound his appendages from around me. I gaped up at him as he took a step back. "I'll be seeing you again little one," he promised and vanished.


	4. Chapter 3

I didn't see Slender for the rest of the morning. As the sun finally peeked over the trees and made its journey to the point directly above me I never saw the Tall One.

Didn't see any deer either, sadly.

I sat up in my tree thinking to myself. Surely it had all been a dream? I must have fallen from the stand and hit my head. Maybe a squirrel drop an acorn on me. Maybe there had been something in the coffee this morning.

I knew the legend of Slender man well. My ex-boyfriend Phillip had introduced it to me originally. It was just a fun little game called Slender.

"Hey Sky! You gotta play this," he had called to me durning class, knowing my love for anything that gave you an adrenaline rush. The game was awesome - the perfect blend of anticipation and horror. Heck, I actually jumped a couple times.

After that I decided to look up what Slender man was. I was intrigued. He seemed pretty cool. My hidden dark side went as far as to think, 'Wouldn't it be great to meet him?'

'No,' I told myself now, too late. 'It wouldn't.'

My little brother Charlie was totally obsessed with the game. He'd down loaded each and every version of it and had made it his life's goal (for now) to beat them all. He even dressed up as 'ole Slendy for Halloween last week.

While I never actually believed a word of what I was hearing or reading, between Charlie and my own research, I would have said I was a Slender man expert. That was before this morning, however.

Why did he let me go? In all my research I had never come across an account where he let his victim _go_. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and hoping the answer would pop up out if nowhere. It didn't.

'Because it didn't really happen you twit!' my subconscious yelled at me. I decided in this case I should probably just agree with her.

At noon I climbed down from the stand and hiked back to camp. I speared a hotdog on a cut branch and stuck it out over the campfire. 'Mmm, lunch of the champions,' I thought to myself sarcastically, longing for a salad as I popped open a bag of chips.

An hour later I was back out in the stand, full, and completely convinced that this morning hadn't been anything more than a dream. With these comforting thoughts in mind, I began to doze off.

I awoke some time later. 'Crap, I hadn't actually meant to fall asleep,' I grumbled in my mind, 'A whole heard of deer coulda come through here and I missed it.'

A sudden thought struck me. What was it that had woken me in the first place? I looked around.

He stood below me, a few feet in front of the ladder staring up at me.

"Two sightings in one day Slendy? Dang, I feel special," I mumbled rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"I can't help it if you were foolish enough to come back here after this morning," he said. I swear, if he had had eyes, he would have just rolled them at me. "What makes you so sure I won't kill you this time?" A tentacle reached up and plucked me out of the stand and set me down in front of him.

"Nothing. I just feel more confident in the day light." Was I actually smiling up at him?

"I noticed," he said.

"Why didn't you kill me this morning?" Mentally I face palmed. 'Idiot,' my subconscious muttered.

Slender man looked taken aback for a moment. "You... interest me," he said simply. There was that tentacle again, rubbing against my cheek.

My face had the nerve to blush at his comment and contact and he cocked his head to the side.

"Do you often let your victims live?" I asked to break the awkward moment.

"No."

"Oh."

Awkward silence.

"Why didn't you run from me this morning?" he finally broke the silence.

"I told you. I don't do fear. Fear is-"

"For the weak, yes," he interrupted me. "And you don't like to be weak. So your own pride was worth more than your life?" he asked, and he truly sounded interested.

"Uhh, I guess?" When you put it that way...

"You are a foolish little one." My subconscious piped up, agreeing with him.

"I'm not that little," I said indignantly.

"You're smaller than me."

"But you're inhumanly tall."

"That's because I'm not human."

"Well duh." I rolled my eyes.

Slender man chuckled and shrank until he was about six feet tall. "See? This is an average height for humans and I'm still taller than you."

"But I'm a girl. Women are shorter than men biologically," I continued trying to defend myself. "For a female, five foot three isn't bad!"

"Mhm, if you say so," he said, humoring me.

I sighed and left it at that. I looked up to ask another question, and realized too late that with his height change this action would put our faces only inches away from each other. We both froze.

His breath blew hot in my face, smelling of peppermint. That surprised me. I figured it would have smelled more like death and decay.

Slender man was the first to move. He took a step back a stretched a foot taller. I ducked my head, my cheeks growing red.

The Tall One awkwardly cleared his throat. "Since you don't like my term 'little one,' what would you rather be called?" he asked.

"My name is Sky," I answered.

He nodded. "How old are you, Sky?"

"I'll be eighteen next month."

He looked down at me, "You are so young. Little one fit you perfectly."

I scowled. "Eighteen is legally an adult!"

"So you're still a child for another month then, yes?" He had a point there. I wasn't going to tell him that though.

"Don't you eat children?" I whispered.

A wolf like smile spread over his face. "Yes," was his simply reply.

"Oh. Good to know," I said meekly.

He chuckled. "Don't worry Sky, I don't plan on eating you," he reassured me.

"Because...?"

"You interest me." He reached his arm out and very hesitantly brushed a strand of blonde hair that had escaped my ponytail behind my ear. My skin tingled where his fingers had brushed it. Then suddenly he was gone.

"Oh," was my reply to no one in particular.


	5. Chapter 4

I packed up to returned home the next morning. A part of me wanted to hike out into the woods and tell Slendy bye, but I didn't feel like having to explain it to my dad. I hadn't told him about my little encounter, not that he would believe me even if I did.

As my dad's truck pulled out of camp I thought I saw a tall figure standing just inside the tree line, although I could have been imagining it.

My parents house was an hour and a half away from where my dad and I hunted. The drive was long and uncomfortable, but it ended eventually.

Living so far away, I knew it would be a long time before I saw the Slender man again. IF I ever saw him again...

That thought made me sad for some reason. Why did I care? Sure it was cool to meet a living myth, but he was a murderer and a child eater. He wasn't even human.

It occurred to me that I was being silly. Slender man couldn't care less about me, I was sure. I just happened to hold his interest for a day. Big deal.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, I was thinking about him. My dozing mind didn't register the small noise in my room, nor the gentle hand that brushed the hair out of my face. A soft voice whispered, "Always watches, my little Sky."

I dreamed about him that night (I was actually sure it was a dream this time.) I was in the Slender game searching for the very last note. I could hear him behind me, getting closer with every second. The static in my ears kept getting louder and louder.

A black tentacle snaked around my waist and started pulling me back. I didn't fight it, I didn't scream. I simply stared ahead, my eyes wide and mouth open slightly in shock at being caught.

A warm, solid force collided with my back. Slender arms wrapped around me from behind and held me there. Long, pale fingers cupped my cheek and pointed my face up. I smelled peppermint.

"My little Sky."

I say bolt upright in my bed. "What the fuck was that?" I exclaimed.

'This is what happens when you over think things,' my subconscious scolded me. I told her to shove it.

I looked over at my alarm clock. It would go off in just a few minutes anyway, I might as well go ahead and get up.

I went into the bathroom and popped my contacts in. I stared into the mirror. The girl before was boring. Her waist length golden blonde hair was starting to show light brown at the roots and her hazel eyes were rapidly blinking to get her contacts to focus. Her nose was a little too big to be pretty and she had a bit of acne on her forehead. I had to admit, at least she had a nice body. If only her chest was a little bigger... and if she wasn't so short.

I sighed. Slender man was right, I was little.

Looking at my reflection, I had to wonder why someone like Slender would find an interest in me. I was so... plain. There really wasn't a whole lot special about me. I was pretty, but not beautiful. My grades were good, but not fantastic. I did a couple sports, but I never won. I was, purely and simply, mediocre.

I stuck my tongue out at my reflection and left the room. I finished getting ready for school and walked out to get in my car. As I pulled out of the driveway I could have sworn I saw a tall pale man in my rear view, but when I turned my head no one was there.

"Sky Steele, quit psyching yourself out. Get a grip girl," I mumbled to myself. I sighed. Today was going to be a very long day.


	6. Chapter 5

I didn't tell anyone about Slender man. Who would believe me anyway? Each day I got up, went to school, went to work, came home, did my homework, and went to bed.

I didn't see Slendy any more.

The doubts started to creep back into my head. 'You imagined the whole thing, didn't you, you idiot?' I was getting really tired of my subconscious' snide remarks.

The thing was, even though I couldn't see him, I could _feel_ him watching me.

'Always watches.' I shuddered.

Friday night I grabbed my flashlight and told my parents I was going out. If Slendy really was watching me, I wanted to give him a chance to come talk to me. Setting off on foot, I started for the neighborhood park.

I hadn't been walking for more than five minutes before I heard a cool voice behind me say, "You know, you really shouldn't go out at night by yourself. There could be child murderers out here."

I tried to contain my grin as I turned around. He was leaning casually against a tree on the edge of the sidewalk. His arms were folded across his chest and he only stood about six foot four at the moment.

"Child murderers? Ha, they don't scare me."

Slendy raised his brow. "Oh really? You say that like you've met one."

"Oh I come across them from time to time. You know, this is Atlanta after all," I teased.

"Hmm. You should be careful Sky, or one day you wont come across that murderer, he'll come across you."

"Is there a difference?" I asked.

"Oh yes," he answered gravely. It amused me how playful he was tonight. I liked it.

"If your going to insist in running around with child murders on the loose," he said with a hint of a smile, "then it would be my duty as a gentleman to accompany you, wouldn't it?" He pushed off of the tree and came to stand next to me.

I could help it, I giggled. "Why thank you, sir." We fell instep together and started walking. "Heaven forbid a child murderer should come at me now."

He grinned that same pointed tooth smile. "Yes, Heaven forbid."

That wolffish smile sent a chill down my spine an I swallowed thinking, 'What have you gotten yourself into now Sky?'

"You seem to be in a good mood tonight," I said after a moment.

"Mhm. It happens every once in a blue moon," he replied.

"So what's the occasion?" I asked.

He ignored me. I frowned, but decided to just drop it.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked quietly.

"You just did." I glared at him and finally he shrugged. "I guess you may," he sighed.

"Why do you find me interesting?"

Slender man gave me a peevish look, like that was one of the last questions he wanted to be answering right now. That only made me more eager to hear the answer.

He stopped, pulling me to a stop with him and turned to face me. We were in the park now, near the lake. "Why should I tell you that, human?" he asked.

"Because if your gonna be stalking me now, I think I have the right to know why," I said.

His mouth twitched in that almost smile. And he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't know, little one." There was almost a tenderness in his voice. Almost.

With out realizing it, I leaned in closer. "Oh come now, surely you must know," I teased.

To my surprise, he leaned in closer too. "Maybe I do, and maybe I don't, but if I don't feel like telling you, you won't find out."

"Because?" Why was voice so much softer all if the sudden?

"Because I'm the Slender man." His voice was rougher, almost a whisper.

"So?" I demanded.

"So, I could kill anyone who gives me trouble. You included little human," he warned.

"But you said you wouldn't kill me," I reminded him.

He leaned in closer and whispered softly with peppermint breath, "Am I not allowed to change my mind?" I shuddered involuntarily. He chuckled and leaned away.

I stared up at him while I tried to reboot my brain. What the hell just happened? I shook my head. Time for a subject change. "Hey Slendy? I was wondering..."

He sighed, "So full if questions. Yes, what is it Sky?"

"Online it says you have siblings. Splendor man and Trender man. Are they real too?"

Slender's face darkened. "Yes, unfortunately they are," he scowled.

"Oh. Okay, just wondering," and I dropped that subject too. I wondered briefly if Slendy was bipolar. His good mood seemed to have vanished.

"Maybe that's enough wondering for tonight, hm? You should be going to bed," he suggested.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not twelve, I don't exactly have a bed time anymore," I argued.

Slendy sighed. "Sky..."

"Yeah?" I muttered, a little put out.

"Just do it."

"Bossy."

"I know."

I stayed where I was.

Slender man groaned. "Stubborn human," he grumbled and grabbed my elbow. I blinked and we were standing in my bedroom.

"Woah, did I miss something?" I asked bewildered.

"It's just Slenderwalking little one, now go to bed," he pinched the bridge if his nose between his thumb and fore finger.

I rolled my eyes and climbed under the covers. After seeming to debate with himself for a moment, he came over and sat in the edge of my bed. Gently he started stroking my hair. It was very relaxing.

"Why do I have to go to bed?" I asked yawning. I closed my eyes and concentrated on how his long fingers felt running through my hair.

He paused for a moment. "Because I'm hungry, and I don't want a child murder to come across you," he whispered and vanished.

My mom had the news on the next morning when I got up. I left the room when they played the story about a missing child. His name was Daniel, and he was only seven.


	7. Chapter 6

I didn't see Slendy again until Sunday afternoon.

I was outside raking leaves in my backyard, scanning the woods behind my house every few minutes out of paranoia. When my cat snuck up behind me and rubbed against my leg I nearly jumped out of my skin.

'Damn you Slender man! I was never this jumpy before,' I thought to myself.

I was actually kinda glad I hadn't seen him for a couple days. It had given me time to think.

Yes, I'd known he was a child murderer. I'd asked him and he'd straight up told me he was. But hearing him tell me he was about to go kill... and seeing Daniel's round little face on the news... That disturbed me.

And I'd also had time to think about how he had been acting around me. He was so strange. One moment he was serious, then he'd be happy, then he'd make a death threat, then he go back to being happy. The guy was a freakin' emotional roller coaster! I just wasn't sure how to act around him. And that scared me. I didn't like feeling scared.

I sighed and flopped down face first into the pile of leaves I'd just raked. All this thinking was making my brain hurt. Maybe I'd get lucky and he wouldn't come back, then I wouldn't have to worry about it any more.

'Lucky? Do you really think that would make you happy?' a part of me whispered. I sighed and had to admit to myself, 'No, it wouldn't.' Now that I'd met him, I didn't want to go back to life without him. But _why_? It didn't make sense. I didn't make sense. _He_ didn't make sense.

Maybe it _would_ be better if I had never met him. At the very least it would be safer, if not for me, then for the children of my town...

'Damn him.'

"What are you doing, little one?"

"Ahhh!" I jumped and sat up.

Slender man chuckled. "You're not scared, are you?" he teased.

I glared at him. "No, of course not!"

Looking amused he reached out and plucked a leaf out of my hair. "Tsk, tsk, you're a mess." He seemed to be in a good mood again.

"It's called working," I snapped and he chuckled again.

"Hm, you're feisty today," he remarked, plucking another leaf.

"Hmph," was my only reply.

Slender cocked his head to the side. "What's wrong Sky?" he asked, catching on to my mood, the amusement gone.

"Nothing," I said curtly.

He growled. "It doesn't sound like nothing."

I groaned and laid back into the leaves, throwing my arm across my eyes. The leaves beside me shuffled and I moved my arm so I could see. He had sat down beside me and was now peering down at me.

"Tell me Sky." His voice was a little softer now.

He looked so awkward, sitting like that, with his long legs folded up to his chest and his spidery arms resting on his knees. It was comical. Not able to contain myself, I giggled.

Poor Slendy look bemused at my mood change. Hmm, apparently I'm one to talk about being bipolar. "You are a strange little one," he said.

I noticed a leaf caught on one of his buttons. "Yes, you've said that before." I smiled but it didn't quite reach my eyes. I reached up to untangle the leaf from his jacket button.

Slender man stiffened suddenly as my hand came near him. "Th-there's a leaf," I stuttered. Hesitantly I grabbed the leaf and tossed it to the side. Once my hand was back by my side he relaxed.

'That was... weird,' I thought.

"Why were you upset little one?" he asked after an awkward pause.

"Don't worry about it," I sighed.

"Tell me," he demanded.

"No."

"I'm warning you human. Tell me."

"But I don't want to." I was starting to get mad. Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone? I wasn't about to tell him that _he_ was the the reason I was upset. Him and his murderous history, confusing mood swings, and mixed messages.

"Sky Olivia Steele..." he muttered dangerously. I was too scared to ask how he knew my full name.

The air around us seemed to get darker and it had an electric feel to it. I started hearing static in my ears and and my brain was getting fuzzy. When I look up at his face, I noticed he had grown several feet and was now standing over me, glowering down. His appendages had sprouted from his back again and were swilling around madly like a disturbed nest of snakes.

'Oh fuck, he's really pissed,' I thought. I shrank against the ground, curling in on myself. If he had come at me like this last weekend, there would have been no doubt in my mind - I would have ran.

So this was Slender man's full power, huh? Damn, no wonder they made a horror game after him. I felt like I was slowing going insane - for real this time - as I stared up at his blank face in horror.

I couldn't say or do anything except continue to stare up at the tall man. I struggled desperately to get my wits about me. Suddenly I found my legs and was up and running in an instant... Straight into the woods.

'DAMN IT YOU IDIOT!' my subconscious yelled at me. This was probably just about my worst idea ever. I knew he was going to kill me when he caught me. Not if - when.

I ran, thankful for once to be a varsity cross country runner. I could keep running for hours.

'Can't run,' flashed through my mind. I wanted to scream.


	8. Chapter 7

I didn't know where I was. I felt like I'd been running forever, my feet were numb, my lungs were burning, and I didn't know where I was.

He was still behind me. I could feel him more than anything else. His presence had that power in it that seemed to be soaking into my very soul. The static in my ears was still there. I didn't dare look back.

I knew it was all over when I fell. My foot caught under a tree root and I face planted into the forest floor. As I fell, my ankle twisted and audibly snapped. I cried out, clutching my injured ankle to my chest. The static got stronger. I closed my eyes.

Tentacles wound around me, slithering and crawling across my skin, and lifted me off the ground.

A choked sob escaped my throat.

"Just do it quickly please," I begged.

A pause. "Sky..."

The static was gone and the air felt less dense in an instant.

Strong arms replaced the tentacles and he cradled me against him. That was it. Pride or no, I allowed myself a moment of weakness. I hid my face in his chest and started crying.

I could tell Slender man was unsure what to do. He'd caused plenty of people to break out into tears before. Most of his victims were already crying by the time he reached them anyway, but he'd always killed them shortly after. He'd never had to comfort one before.

"Little Sky..." he murmured, stroking my hair hesitantly.

I didn't reply other than to cry a little harder. I wanted to shove him away, I wanted to yell at him, but I couldn't. I just didn't have the will power. He just held me there for a while. The front of his suit jacket was getting soaked. I idly wondered if he'd be mad at me for that latter.

As my tears started to subside, I lifted my head. "I'm sorry, I got your suit all messy," I sniffed meekly.

He smile down at me softly and a tentacle wipe the tears off my face. "That's alright little one. It can be cleaned." The tentacle lingered. "Why did you run from me?"

I stared up at him bewildered. "I - I was scared." Wasn't it obvious?

"I would never do anything to hurt you..."

I scowled. "Oh yeah? 'Cause you were just radiating that 'I'm gonna kill you' vibe," I said angrily.

"You were being very... Difficult. I lost my patience," he replied.

"Yeah, we'll if you'd just let it go, this wouldn't have happened!"

Slender man didn't seem to be responding to my hostile tone at all. "I asked you a question and you were refusing to answer me."

"So? People don't always do what you want. That's life. Get used to it, pal."

He looked shocked for a moment. "I... I've never been refused anything in my life," he said after a pause.

"Well there's a first for everything."

"I don't... like being refused... what I want." He seemed to be struggling with his words. He sounded... Lost.

I sighed. Poor Slendy. I kept forgetting he wasn't human. Things were different for him. "I was upset because I was scared and confused," I gave in after a few moments.

"Who was scaring and confusing you?" There was concern in the pale man's voice.

Pause. "You," I whispered.

Slender man froze, not looking at me anymore, but straight ahead. "I apologize for scaring you," his voice was cold and distant.

"I thought it amused you when you sacred me," I asked.

He looked back down at me. "No my little one, not after seeing you like this." I blushed when he called me his, and he tilted his head to the side, no doubt wondering at it.

"What was it about me that was scaring and confusing you, exactly?" he asked.

Oh great. How to begin? "Well, um..." I paused, not really wanting to continue.

"Go on," he prompted.

"Your mood swings throw me off constantly."

"Mood swings?"

"Yeah, you um... you seem happy one second, then you're mad, then you're sad, then you turn all playful. It's really hard to keep up with," I explained.

"Hmm, alright. I'll keep that in mind. What else?"

"Um..."

He leaned his face in closer till it was only inches from mine. "Please tell me?" he breathed.

"Uhh... Nghh... Um..." I mumbled unintelligently.

He chuckled and pulled his face back. "Sorry, didn't catch that?"

"I scares me that you kill children," I blurted.

His chuckle died instantly. "You already knew that about me," he said gravely.

"I know. It didn't quite hit though till I saw Daniel in the news," I explained.

"Oh..."

"Yeah..."

"I... guess that's a valid reason to be scared," he said slowly.

I gave a shaky, half strangled laugh. "Ya think?"

He shook his head. "You know, I have to eat too Sky."

"Can't you eat something normal like McDonald's?" I exclaimed.

That actually got a laugh out of him. "What McDonald's is going to serve me?"

"Good point," I mumbled. "But that still doesn't mean you have to kill children!"

"I don't suppose so. But I enjoy it." A shiver ran up my spine and he grinned evilly again. "Come on little one, lets get you home." In a flash that left me feeling disoriented, Slendy teleported us back to my backyard. He went to set me down and I cried out and collapsed on my bad ankle.

"Sky! What is it?"

"Nothing... Just... My ankle," I panted. "Just give... Me... A moment."

The tall man knelt down in the grass next to me and placed my foot in his lap. I bit my lip to keep from whimpering as he rolled up my pant leg.

The ankle was nearly purple and was swollen so much my high top converse were cutting into it. Slendy unlaced my shoe and carefully pulled it off.

"What am I going to do with you child?" He shook his head. Gentle fingers wrapped around the swollen flesh. Then the pain started to lessen. I looked up at Slendy in shock.

"Am I healing?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"One of my many talents," he said, then held up his other hand to silence me.

I waited patiently, amazed at what this man was doing to me. After a few minutes he released me and stood up. When he spoke, he sounded tired. "How's that?"

I stood up to. There was no pain. I grinned up at him in awe. "Amazing!" I gasped, "Thank you so much!" On an impulse, I threw my arms around his waist and hugged him. He froze.

"That's... Er... You're welcome," he said stiffly. I let go and stepped back, a little embarrassed. After a second he relaxed again. "I should be going," he said.

"Why?" He smiled and ruffled my hair. "Healing can be very... taxing on my strength. I need some rest," he explained. His hand left my hair and gently caressed my cheek. "Good night little one." The next second he was gone.

His sudden disappearances were almost as bad as his mood swings.

I raised my hand an gently touched where his hand had been moments before. "G'night..." I mumbled.


	9. Chapter 8

I lay in bed thinking for a while that night. My brain kept coming up with the same conclusion: I was one sad, sick little bastard.

Why? Well for one I was hanging out with a killer. Said killer had also tried to kill me... a couple times.

So why was I laying there longing to see him again?

'Dammit Sky, you like him,' my subconscious started banging her head against the wall.

"No," I said out loud. "I swear I don't."

'Oh, but you do. And your gonna end up screwed, hurt, and maybe even dead for it. Good job.'

I groaned and rolled over. Another reason I was a sad, sick little bastard: I kept freakin' talking to myself.

This whole deal with Slender man was really messing with my head. My friends at school were starting to notice.

"Hey Sky, are you okay?" my best friend Drew finally asked me Wednesday. Her big brown eyes were full of worry.

"Yeah, I've just got a lot on my mind," I told her, looking down.

"Wanna talk about it?" For a moment a seriously considered telling her everything, but I stopped myself. Drew was sweet and understanding, but I wasn't sure even she could keep from looking at me like a looney after I told her a story like mine.

"Naw," I said. "It's not important."

"Okay." She leaned across the lunch table and gave me a hug. "I'm here if you need me girl, kay?" She smiled at me warmly.

"I know Drew," I smiled back. "So how are you and Richard doing?" I changed the subject. Instantly my friend launched into detail about everything they'd said and did on their last date.

Inwardly I sighed, jealous of how carefree her life was. I remembered when my life had been like that. Had it really only be a few weeks ago?

I felt watched everywhere I went. I couldn't focus in school, at work I kept screwing up orders, at home... well, I guess my family didn't notice much of a difference. They were caught up in their own stuff.

I dreamt about him almost every night. Sometimes the dreams were good... and other times I would wake up screaming.

Friday night I decided to go for a walk again.

"You're really screwing with my head," I accused him the moment I saw him.

He looked amused. "It's called 'Slender sickness' I do believe," he said.

"Yeah, well, I don't like it," I grumbled. "Is there any cure for it?"

"Not for you." He chuckled.

"Why not!" I said, exasperated.

"Because the best way to get rid of it is for me to leave you alone, and that's not going to happen."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a stalker."

I shivered at that wolfish grin. Again. "I know." He brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"How come you can touch me, but you don't like it when I touch you?" I wondered aloud.

Slendy gave me a strange look. "When did I ever say that?"

"You didn't. I figured it out," I told him, perhaps a little bit smug.

"I never really thought about it, honestly." He said looking off into the woods. "I guess I'm just not used to humans purposefully making contact with me," he mused.

"Sounds like you just need practice," I said, and probably in the boldest move I'd ever made in my life, I wound my arm through Slendy's.

He looked at me in shock for a moment, his whole body ridged. Then very, very slowly, I felt him relax.

"See?" I said. "It's not so bad."

Slender man chuckled softly, "You never fail to surprise me little one."

We walked like that in silence for a while, arm in arm. It felt a little awkward, seeing as how he was so much taller than me, even though he was only just over six feet tonight. I didn't dare remove my arm though. I was helping Slendy, I kept telling myself.

"Your birthday is next week," Slendy said after a while.

"Mhm, sure is. You gonna stop calling me 'little one' once I'm an adult?" I asked.

"Of course not."

I sighed. "Figures." He chuckled at that.

"Would you like anything for your birthday?" That surprised me.

"Oh, uh, you don't have to get me anything," I mumbled.

"What if I want to?"

"Well I guess I would't stop you," I said.

"I'd like to see you try and stop me," he challenged playfully.

"Oh yeah? I'll have you know, sir, I have my black belt in Tae-kwon-do," I challenged back, grinning.

"You think you could take me, human?" Slendy grinned.

"I'd give it my best shot."

He released my arm and stepped in front of me. "Let's see then."

I stopped cold. "Wait. You're serious?"

"Don't worry, I'll play nice," he promised.

"Uhh..." I wasn't sure what to do.

"Your move Sky," he prompted me again.

"Well, you know, I wouldn't wanna hurt you or nothing," I bluffed.

"You wouldn't, trust me."

"Slendy..." I whined.

"If you don't hurry, I'll get you first," he warned.

I grasped at an idea. "But fighting you would involve me touching you! I wouldn't wanna make you uncomforatable."

"Didn't you say all I needed was practice?" He was really getting a kick out if this, I could tell.

Damn him. I sighed. Guess I'll give it my best go and pray I don't end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Stealing myself up, I tensed my muscles and sprang at him - only he wasn't there anymore.

"Oh, you can do better than that," he teased from behind me. I spun and let loose a turning crescent kick. By the time my foot reached him he wasn't there anymore. "You've got to be faster than that," he teased. I growled and threw a hook punch. A tentacle grabbed my arm and knocked it aside. An upper cut - blocked that too. He wasn't even breaking a sweat! He made it look too easy.

'He's not human,' I had to remind myself.

"Man, tentacles of my own would sure come in handy right about now," I said. He chuckled.

"Indeed, they are quite useful," he said as he dodged another kick, grinning.

Inspiration! If this didn't work, then I was out of tricks. I faked a right round, knowing that to dodge it he would have to step over to my right side. As soon as he did, I dove at him, tackling him around his middle and sending us both crashing to the ground.

There was a stunned pause and then we both started laughing.

"Not bad little one," he complemented me approvingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Please, you weren't even trying," I said.

"I know." He was still grinning - or at least he was until he realized that I was on top of him, laying on his chest. I realized it too about the same time he did. I felt my face get hot and I ducked my head. When I dared a look up at him through my lashes I could have sworn his cheeks had a slight pink tinge to them. I giggled nervously, my face darkening even more upon seeing his own blush.

"You're very pretty when you blush," he whispered softly. His hand found its way to my cheek and he slowly ran his thumb along my jaw line. This of course, made me blush even harder. I didn't know that was even possible!

My brain was going nuts. This was bad, this was wrong. I shouldn't be here. I needed to leave this instant, or I was going to do something so insanely stupid, I deserved to be killed.

Quickly I scrambled to my feet and took a step back. "It's getting late. I should go," I said.

Slender man was still on the ground, looking up at me bewildered. "If you wish," he said, leaning up in his elbows. "Are you sure you can't stay longer?" Did he sound a little hopeful? No, surely not.

"No, my parents will be wondering where I am," I lied. They wouldn't even notice till the morning if I didn't come back.

He stood up and dusted his suit off. "Shall I take you home then?" He asked, holding out his arm for me to grab hold of.

I smiled shyly. "Thanks," I mumbled, taking it. In an instant we were in my front porch.

"Till tomorrow then, little one," he bid me farewell and then vanished. I stared at the spot where he'd just been for a long time before I finally went inside.

As I was drifting of to sleep a little while later, I dreamt he appeared in my room. Silently the Tall One bent over my bed and gently brushed his lips against my forehead. "Sleep well, my little Sky," he murmured. I lay there smiling after he left again. But it was just a dream, wasn't it?


	10. Chapter 9

The next morning dawned bright and early for me. I rolled over in my bed and heard the crumple of paper. Confused, I opened my eyes and saw a piece of loose leaf paper. Scribbled on it was a stick figure drawing of my favorite monster and the words. 'Come to the park at noon.'

I snorted. "How ironic." Now I really did feel like I was in the Slender game.

I didn't know why, but I just felt like dressing up today. After my shower, I dug in my closet looking for the perfect outfit. I ended up settling on a black, form fitting v-neck sweater and red skinny jeans. I laced up my black converse and then turned my attention to my face. 'Hm, needs some work,' I murmured while digging for my mascara and eyeliner. After my make-up was done I drug my hair over one shoulder and fish tailed it. With a satisfied, "humph," I told my parents I was going out for the day and set off on foot for the park. I wasn't sure were exactly in the park he would be, and I was a little early, but I figured he'd find me none the less.

"Hey Baby," a voice slurred from the other side of the road and I heard the laughter of several men. I looked over my shoulder and saw Brian Hobbs, a senior like me and our town's local bad boy. His little groupies stood with him, so wasted they were almost falling all over each other.

I narrowed my eyes. "Drunk already boys? It's not even noon yet." I keep my voice cool, clearly saying 'stay away.'

"Naw sweet lips, our party just ended. We're set for the day. Unless you wanna come start a new one with us?" More drunken laughter.

I gave a cold laugh. "Please, like I'd go anywhere with you."

"Hey hey, that sounds like a challenge Brian," one of his groupies said.

"You're right Cole," he grinned at me hungrily. "You know I love a challenge." He started crossing the street towards me, the others following.

"You seriously aren't that stupid, are you? You're going to try and attack me in broad day light?" I asked, backing up.

"There's no one around," another boy said.

"No one to hear you scream."

"You're quite a looker, ain't ya bitch?"

"She gotta nice ass, huh?"

"I'd like to see her without all them clothes on though."

I started to panic. They had me surrounded now.

"Hey, DJ, go start the car," Brian said. The smallest of the boys ran back across the street to a pickup truck parked on the curb.

"Don't you dare touch me," I spat as they closed in. I brought my fists up in front of me, ready to fight.

"Suck my dick, bitch." I didn't even see it coming. A sharp pain like lightning struck me in the back of the head. The last thing I heard before everything went black was more drunken laughter.

The darkness was suffocating. It pressed on my head, clogging my senses. The pain in the back of my skull was like a pulsing splash of red. I was searching for my eyes, I needed to open them, but I couldn't find them. I tried looking for my mouth next. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't find it either. 'Is this how Slender man feels?' a part of me wondered.

Eventually the darkness started morphing and the pain became more like white noise. As a park scene started to paint itself in my mind, I realized I was dreaming...

Slender man stood there, just out of sight behind a tree by the lake. He kept looking around as if expecting someone. 'Where is she?' he wondered. Doubts started to flood his dark mind. Was this what getting stood up felt like?

After a few more minutes he made up his mind to go check her house. Maybe something had held her up there. Taking a step forward he teleported instantly to her room. She wasn't there either.

Slender man was starting to get uncomfortable now. Where was she? Again he teleported, this time ending up in the tree line beside the side walk leading to the park. A smell caught his attention. It was an aroma he knew well, and was perhaps one of his favorite fragrances.

Blood.

He sniffed out the source and found a small splatter on the concrete.

"Oh God," he whispered in horror. It was her blood.

Instantly livid with rage the Tall One stretched to almost twenty feet in hight. I hiss escaped his mouth and his tentacles swirled madly around in a frenzy.

"They will die for this," he vowed, already scouring the sight for more clues. "I will find my Sky, and they will pay for her blood."

The dream ended as the darkness and pain took over again.

'Oh Slendy...'

If I could have found my eyes, I would have been crying.


	11. Chapter 10

Someone slapped me across the face. Hard. "Wake up bitch. I like my hoes responsive," a rough voice said.

I groaned and tried and cover my face with my hands, but something stopped me. My eyelids felt too heavy, as if I was wearing lead false eyelashes. Somehow I managed to yank them open. I was laying on the floor of what seemed to be a basement, and my hands were tied together at the wrists above my head. I tried to pull them to me and realized that they were also tied to a pipe jutting out of the wall.

The back of my head was throbbing. The pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt before in my life. I could feel that my hair was a sticky, knotted mess over the source of the pain. Realization struck me with a twinge in my gut that it was from the blood. No, not the blood, _my_ blood.

I looked up into the hungry eyes of the boys who had brought me here. "Let me go," I demanded, but my voice had no power in it.

"Not till we get what we want," Brian growled as he came at me. I scooted back so I was at least sitting up against the wall and thrust my foot out in front of me. I caught Brian straight in the groin and he dropped, clutching his manhood.

Another boy stepped forward and slapped me again. "Don't do that again whore," he warned.

The slap knocked my head back against the wall, and my already pounding skull was now screaming at me. My vision starting swimming and my hearing got fuzzy. I was suddenly finding it hard to breath.

Brian got up on his knees and pinned my legs down so I couldn't move them anymore. "Do you have a death wish?" he snarled. I barely heard him, the buzzing in my pounding head was blocking out almost everything else.

"_Do you_?" a cold, cruel voice like the devil himself hissed.

Brian screamed as a slithering black tentacle thrust itself through his torso. He made a strange gargling noise and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell forward. Screams filled the basement as the other gang member started joining the dead. Cole lay in the corner where he'd had his tongue and eyes ripped out, DJ had been completely severed in half and was at both ends of the basement, the boy who had slapped me was hanging from the ceiling by his own intestines. The other boys had similar stories.

Even as the last of the screams were finally silenced, I couldn't take my eyes off the twenty foot man that stood in the middle of the basement chaos, panting with rage and practically burning the air around him with his power.

After a few moments the overwhelming static started to fade and the air visibly lightened. He turned to me. In an instant he was six feet and kneeling by my side, unknotting my bonds with long fingers.

I noticed as he leaned over me that he didn't have a single spot of blood on his suit. That took skill.

My wrists finally free, I acted on impulse. I reached up, grabbed his tie, and kissed him.

He froze for an instant - just long enough for me to wonder if I'd really screwed up, and then his arms went around me, his hand planted in the small of my back, pushing me against him. He sighed into the kiss, actually returning it.

He tasted like peppermint.

I parted my lips, enjoying the flavor of him, longing for more, and he responded, groaning softly. "My little Sky," he murmured against my lips.

If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I'd one day find myself lip locked with the Slender man, I would have referred them to a psychiatrist. This was unreal. It was weird and uncertain, and in some levels wrong, but it was happening. And I was enjoying it immensely. Maybe it was immoral of me to want a child killer, and maybe I was going to Hell for being happy for the loss of life that had just taken place, but at this moment, I didn't care. I wanted him, and at this moment, all that was wrong... felt right.

I would have stayed there and kissed him forever, but my injuries wouldn't allow it. I broke the kiss and leaned back, clutching the back of my head. I couldn't hold back the tiny gasp of pain.

Slendy's brow furrowed with concern and he scooped me up in his arms, clutching me to his chest. He teleported us to a place I didn't recognize.

It seemed to be an old house that had long sense been abandoned. He laid me down on a dusty, sadly sagging bed and sat on the edge, resting a warm hand on my forehead. My eyelids drooped as exhaustion hit me instantly.

"Where am I?" I asked, barely able to manage more than a whisper.

"My home. Now go to sleep my little one," he said. I obeyed.

* * *

**A/N: Awwwww, aren't they just too cute? Gotta love Slendy xD **

**Thanks to everyone who's favorited, followed or reviewed. I'm still extremely new to Fanfiction (and still trying to figure out how everything works to be quite honest), so it makes me happy that y'all are enjoying my story! :D Please keep reading, there will be more to come, I promise. ;)**


	12. Chapter 11

When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was that the pain in my head was gone.

The second thing I noticed was the sound of someone snoring very softly.

The third was Slendy's arm, casually draped over my waist.

I lay on my side facing the edge of the bed. Slendy lay behind me, his face nuzzled in my hair and his arms loosely holding me. With each snore I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, causing my hair to flutter gently.

I concentrated very hard on keeping still, not wanting to disturb him. For some reason it had never occurred to me that he needed sleep, just like the rest of us. 'Poor thing, I'm sure he's exhausted,' I thought, remembering how he'd told me that healing did a number on his strength. I was thankful to be rid of the gash in the back if my head, but I still felt a little guilty.

I glanced around the room, taking in my surroundings. It was a dingy little bedroom, probably only about ten feet wide and covered in dust and cobwebs. The bed we lay in was against the center if the back wall. Opposite the bed was a door leading out in to what looked like a small living room. Based on the lighting in the room I guessed that there was a shuttered window in the wall I was facing away from.

Wondering what time it was, I tried, every so gently and slowly, to twist my wrist so I could see my watch face. I muffled sigh came from behind me. Crap, I woke him up.

"Sky?" He sat up, pulling his hands back to himself. I rolled over and looked up at him. Sometime while I'd been asleep he'd removed his jacket and tie. His white dress shirt was crumpled a bit an the top few buttons were undone. Having never seen him dressed casually, it seemed almost strange to me.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, brushing my hair back.

"Surprisingly good considering I had my brains bashed out this morning," I said. "Thank you."

He smile down at me. "Of course."

Awkward silence.

"So..." I said, not quite sure what to say.

"You kissed me," he said bluntly.

I blushed. "Yeah, guess I did. But you kissed me back."

Slendy turned his head and looked towards the window. "I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah..."

Another awkward silence.

"So... " I repeated.

"Something on your mind little one?" He turned his head back at me and tilted it to the side, staring at me without eyes.

"I just... Don't know what to say," I admitted sheepishly.

"Then don't say anything."

I rolled my eyes. Like that was gonna work for me. "So... Have you ever kissed a human before?"

He continued to stare at me. "No."

"Anyone at all?"

"No."

"Oh... Well I'm honored to be your first then," I said.

The obvious awkwardness in my voice made him chuckle. "I wonder what my family would say?" he wondered aloud.

"About you kissing a human?" I asked.

"About me having... feelings... for a human," he said slowly.

"Oh." I was stunned. I hadn't actually expected him to really _feel_ anything for me. After all, he was the Slender man! I was just a boring high schooler! It didn't make sense. Slendy had continued to stare at me and I realized he was waiting for me to say something. "Um... I have feelings for you too," I mumbled, looking down. I looked up when his lips brushed my forehead.

"That's what I was hoping," he smiled. He slid off the edge of the bed and stood up. Holding out his hand to me he asked, "Ready to go home?"

I blinked, surprised at the sudden subject change. "Uh, yeah. I'm not a bloody mess, am I?" I asked, looking myself over.

Slendy appraised me for a moment. "You look beautiful."

I blushed again. "That doesn't answer my question," I said quietly.

"You're fine," he said with a sigh.

"Thanks." I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet. One instant of slender walking later and were in my bedroom.

Be bent and gently pressed his lips to mine. "Be safe my little Sky," he said. It sounded like an order.

And then he was gone.

I went into the bathroom to inspect my condition. "That lier," I rolled my eyes. My hair was a mess, matted with blood and in tangles that scared me just looking at them. I groaned, deciding that a shower was the only help for it now - that or an electric razor. Remarkably my clothes were fine, if not a little wrinkled. The black shirt and red jeans hid any spots of blood, if there were any. I shed them and tossed them in the hamper. I took inventory of the rest of my body. No bruises or cuts that I could see. Again I thanked my lucky stars for Slendy's magical healing powers.

By the time I was getting out of the shower, I was ready for bed. It was a little early still, but I'd had a rough day. No one could begrudge me a little extra sleep. I deserved it.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey Guys, sorry it's been a while since my last update. The holidays bring a whole heap of drama that sadly kept me from the computer :( anyway, I'm back now, and with two new chapters! Yay!**

**I'd like to thank everyone who's favorited, followed, or commented. I greatly appreciate it! and thank you to those who offered to show me the ropes of this site seeing as how I'm new. I'll take y'all up on the offer eventually but, I don't have the time to be on here much for the time being. School starts back on the 3rd and I have theater auditions coming up and new classes to deal with... *Sigh* Anyway, I'll do my best to get on her and post new chapters when I can. Please bear with me if sometimes it takes a little longer.**

**Enjoy the new chapters! :)**

* * *

My birthday was the Thursday of the next week. School wasn't half bad, thankfully. Teachers were the same as always, but in a rare stroke of luck I didn't have to endure any pop quizzes or excessive amounts of work.

During lunch, Drew came prancing back from her locker with a cake. I grinned at her. Chocolate with chocolate icing - my favorite. "Aw, you shouldn't have," I said.

"Sky," she winned, "it's the best friend code! I couldn't have _not_ gotten you a cake. It's unfathomable!"

I laughed. "You're the best Drew."

"You know I try," she winked at me.

Joanna and her brother Jackson - my next two closest friends after Drew - came over then, bearing presents. I slid over and Jackson sat next to me, Joanna occupied the seat beside Drew.

"Hey, happy birthday," Jackson and wrapped me in a bear hug. "Ready for your present?"

"Jackson, go away! She's gonna open my present first!" Joanna bickered with her twin.

I laughed and held up my hands, "Woah, woah, what happened to taking turns?"

"Exactly. My turn first!" Joanna insisted.

I rolled my eyes. "Well hand it over then Joan."

"Yay!" She squealed.

I dug the paper out of the little gift bag and held up the shiny silver earrings. They were tiny little crosses with a delicate sliver rose at the center. "They're beautiful! Thank you," I exclaimed.

"It was nothing," she said beaming.

"Now mine," Jackson said, sliding a small blue box towards me. He slid closer to me so that the side of his leg was against mine. Trying to be casual about it, I slid away an inch.

I knew Jackson liked me. He'd made it pretty obvious. I just didn't feel that way about him - he was just a friend. I'd been okay messing around with him though. He knew I had no serious intentions. His flirtatious hadn't bothered me before. Now it kinda felt wrong.

Upon opening the box I saw two little slips of paper. Puzzled, I picked them up and examined them. "Movie tickets," he explained. "Two of them so you can take someone with you," he said, making if painfully obvious just exactly _who_ he wanted me to take.

"Thanks Jackson, this is really nice," I said with a grateful smile.

"Anything to make you smile sweet heart," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "That was so cheesy."

"But its true," he said grinned and planted a kiss on my cheek.

Oddly I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle at his contact and an extreme feeling of discomfort washed over me. It took me a second to realize it as the feeling of being watched.

Admittedly I'd been having that feeling all week. Someone (and I knew exactly who) was watching me closely.

I had a feeling he didn't like Jackson flirting with me.

After school my family held their own little birthday party for me: cake, presents, a couple of cheap balloons, it was all there.

Happy with my new Netbook and maxi skirt, I flopped down on the couch after the celebration atmosphere had died down. Grabbing the TV remote, I flipped to the news. Then I blanched.

The reporter was standing outside a house, ambulances and police cars were everywhere behind her.

"Seven bodies were found in the basement of this abandoned home earlier this morning, horribly mangled. Our reports have told us that they were all about teenage age, but authorities have yet to release their identities. Investigations are under way as police search for the culprit behind these murders. If you have any information concerning this indecent, please call-" I shut the TV off.

The images from the basement were still haunting me. Considering that I had almost been raped and beaten to death by them, I should be happy for the fate that had befell those boys - grateful in fact - but I wasn't. I felt sick think about it. The screams, the blood, the _smell_... It had left me with nightmares.

Then the thought occurred to me that the reporter had said that they'd just found the bodies _this_ _morning_. That meant they'd been down there festering for five days...

I ran to the bathroom and vomited, unwarranted tears streaming down my face. I could have gone a lifetime without imagining _that_ scene.

"You okay, honey?" my mom asked in concern. She knelt beside me on the bathroom floor and held my hair out of my face so it wouldn't get messy.

"Yeah, too much cake, I think," I lied when I was finished. I groaned and laid my head against the wall.

"Stay right here, I'll go get you some Stomach medicine," she instructed me and left.

After taking the medicine and laying down for a while, I told Mom I thought some fresh air might do me some good. I stepped outside and, not even bothering walking to the park, went straight into the woods. He would find me, I knew.

We needed to talk.


	14. Chapter 13

The forest was full of life today. The sun shone through the foliage causing the emerald tones in the light to cascade like a water fall on the landscape.

As I walked I thought some more. Slendy already knew I had a problem with him killing, and it would be foolish of me to tell him that visions of the blood bath that was Brian's gang still haunted me. In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with what he'd done. He had been protecting me.

It wasn't that I wasn't ungrateful. I was happy he'd saved me and I was happy the boys had been punished, but did the punishment have to be so... harsh?

Sure, I'd come into the forest with original intent of discussing what was bothering me, but honestly I knew that wasn't going to happen. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with an angry Slender, and yes, telling him all this would definitely make him angry.

I sighed. Slendy was definitely... difficult to deal with. His mind worked differently from mine and I didn't understand him most of the time. Things that amused him might horrify me, and things that horrified me seemed justified to him. He was si confusing! To keep myself from going nuts, I constantly had to keep reminding myself, 'He's not human Sky.'

The fact that I hadn't seen Slendy since Monday probably wasn't helping my mood. I didn't know why he hadn't visited me, but I tried not the let it bother me. I'm sure he has his reasons. 'He's not human Sky.'

The deeper into the forest I went, the darker it seemed to get. The birds even quit singing.

"Happy Birthday little one," that very familiar voice greeted me.

I turned, a smile crossing my face in spite of myself. "Thanks."

Approaching me, he held out a small box he'd been hiding behind his back. "For you," he said simply. I took it with another mumbled thank you and opened it. Inside was a silver locket on a chain. Upon opening the locket, I found the operator symbol etched inside it on the right side.

I looked up, I could almost feel the sparkle in my eyes. "It's beautiful," I whispered. He just shrugged, not saying anything. I started to pick up on his mood. "Are you okay?" I asked, stepping towards him.

It surprised me when he took a step back. "I'm fine."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? 'Cause you're not acting like it," I said dubiously. I deliberately took another step forward. I looked straight up into his eyes - or the place where his eyes would be. I had to almost tilt my head all the way back to do this. He stood over seven foot today.

I reached out for him, and he recoiled from my touch. That hurt. I bit my lip and ducked my head. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked quietly.

No reply.

I looked back up and he just looked down at me. I continued to wait for a reply that I knew wouldn't come. Suddenly I was mad.

"Fine," I snapped, shoving the locket in my pocket and turning away. I walked away from him, making my way back through the forest towards my house.

A sigh came from behind me. "Sky," he groaned. I could literally hear the eye roll in his tone. I didn't look back, but instead kept walking. "Sky, come back," he sighed.

"No," I growled.

And then he was there, right in front of me. I skidded to a halt to avoid walking straight into him. I refused to look up at him until he grabbed my chin and forced my head up.

"Why are you mad?" he asked, tilting his head.

That did it. Oh so he was allowed to be mad, but I wasn't? I exploded. "Because you're being all passive aggressive and it's pissing me off!" I exclaimed, jerking away from him. "I've been stressed all week, I haven't even seen you for days - I just feel you watching me 24/7! It's unnerving, you know? After what happened Saturday I've been totally on edge. I know that killing is nothing to you, but it bothers me, okay? Yeah, so those boys were doing bad things, but did you _have_ to kill them? All of them?" Oh well, so much for not mentioning that. He was already angry anyway, so it probably didn't make that big of a difference. I continued my rant, "I feel awful! I feel responsible! You know, those boys had families and hopes and dreams and lives. And that was just... taken away from them. What about their parents? Their siblings and girlfriends? Someone loved those boys! Someone loved them..." I hadn't realized I was crying until the sobs chocked out my voice. I angrily wiped away the tears and tried to turn away from him again.

He growled. "Dammit Sky! Would you stop waking away from me?" I did stop, surprised. That was the first time I'd heard him swear. He grabbed me and turned me back towards him, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against him. "I know you don't like killing," he sighed, "but those miscreants deserved their fate. They were going to _kill_ you Sky - I saw it in their thoughts. Either way, there would have been blood shed in that basement. I couldn't let it be yours." Gently he stroked my hair. "Your life is worth more than all of theirs. As for people loving them, do you think people don't love you too?" Lips brushed the top of my head. "And I'm sorry I haven't been around as of late. I... needed some time to get my thoughts together. And after what happened, there's no way I'd be letting you out of my sight. I'm sorry it unnerved you," he apologized.

"It's okay," I sighed, my voice muffled from my face being buried in his stomach. He was so tall. My anger had died as quickly as it was born. I just stood there and let him hold me like that for I don't know how long. I looked up at him and my hands clutched the front of his jacket. Slendy hadn't kissed me since the basement. Looking up at him, I could feel the pleading in my eyes, 'Kiss me now.'

He hesitated a moment, holding my gaze with his, but I guess he got the message because he cupped my cheek and bent to press his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and I reveled in the feeling. There was no head wound to hold me back now. I threw my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. He seemed to pause for a moment - perhaps in surprise - but he responded, tangling the hand that had cupped my cheek in my hair and wrapping his other arm around my waist. The height difference made the kiss a little awkward so he picked me up, literally sweeping me off my feet. Instead of just dangling there, I wrapped my legs around his middle and I could feel the rumble in his chest as he chuckled. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against mine. "See? Aren't my kisses better that those of that boy you let kiss you at lunch?" he asked.

Oh, so that's why he was mad.

"Jackson?" I asked, "It was just a little peck on the cheek." I kissed Slendy gently. "Don't worry, he's just a friend," I assured him.

"That doesn't mean he has the right to kiss you," he growled softly, claiming my lips with his. "You. Are. Mine."

That sent a shiver of joy down my spine. "Yours," I agreed, sighing into the kiss.

"So no more letting other men kiss you?"

"Only you."

"Good," he said and kissed me again.


	15. Chapter 14

There was a loud clatter in my room and I sat up in my bed quickly. "What the hell?" I exclaimed. Unable to see without my contacts, I rolled over and scrambled for my glasses. I shoved them on my face and looked around my room frantically. "Slendy?" I asked a little surprised as I took in his tall form silhouetted against the scant amount of moonlight coming through my window.

"Sky, I have a problem," he said and I heard the urgency in his voice.

"And it couldn't wait till morning?" I groaned.

"No."

"Well, what is it?" I yawned.

"My brothers are coming to visit." He said it like it was a death sentence.

"Is that bad?" I asked.

"Yes," he hissed.

"And again, this couldn't wait till morning?"

"Technically two am is morning."

"Slendy."

The Slender man groaned and flopped down face first next to me on my bed. "You have no idea what my brothers are like," he complained, his voice muffled.

I rolled over and snuggled up against him. "They honestly can't be that bad," I said.

"That's where you're wrong. They are so annoying I wish that it were actually possible for me to die, so that I could throw myself off a cliff."

"You can't die?" I asked curiously.

"That's not the point Sky."

"Just curious," I mumbled.

He sighed, "Well I guess _technically_ I could die, but it would be really, really hard to kill me."

"Hm, good to know," I said.

Slendy turned his head and just stared at me. "You don't get it, do you?"

I sighed and kissed his forehead. "It's gonna be okay Slendy," I tried to comfort him, "I've got your back."

He actually chuckled, but it still sounded sad. "Oh my sweet little one, I would not submit you to such torture."

"I'm volunteering," I said.

"You don't know what you're saying," he said.

"Well I guess I'll find out then, won't I?"

He shook his head. "You're really serious, aren't you?"

"As the plague," I assured him.

He kissed me, pinning me against the mattress. I was surprised by his sudden attack, but I liked it. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. When he finally pulled away, we were both panting. "Sorry, I needed that," he mumbled sheepishly.

"Don't apologize," I rolled my eyes at him. "This may come as I shock, but I actually enjoy it." He chuckled and laid his head on my chest. We lay there for a moment before I said, "Not that I'm not glad you're here and all, but once again, why couldn't this wait till morning?"

"Because they're coming tomorrow."

"Oh. Short notice, huh?"

"No kidding."

"Are they..." I started to ask, but hesitated.

"What is it?" he prompted, stroking my cheek.

"Are they... going to have a problem with me... being human?" I finished my thought.

He frowned, "Not if they know what's good for them." He wrapped his arms around me protectively and I giggled.

"If you say so," I said and snuggled up closer to him. He was so warm and it was so cold for early December, I welcomed the heat. "Stay, please," I whispered, hoping I wasn't going to far.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't leave. Stay with me tonight."

"Technically it's morning."

"Please?"

He sighed and kissed my cheek, "If you insist," he said. He unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it on my desk. Loosening his tie, he threw it on top. He unbuttoned the top couple buttons of his dress shirt and then climbed under the covers with me and held me against his chest. "Now sleep my little one, we've got a big day tomorrow," he murmured, gently removing my glasses and placing them on my bedside table.

I nuzzled my face against the skin that was exposed where his shirt was unbuttoned. "G'night," I murmured.

"Good night my precious Sky," I heard him say right before I drifted off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 15

I awoke the next morning - or later that same morning, depending on how you look at it - about the same time Slendy did. "Good morning," he smiled and kissed me.

I giggled. "Morning to you too." I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom to put my contacts in and brush my hair. I came back in as Slendy was fastening the last button on his jacket.

"Do you ever wear anything other than a suit?" I idly wondered aloud.

He looked at me funny. "Why would I want to? Suits are nice," he said.

I started digging through my closet. "What should I wear? Is this family thing formal or are jeans okay?" I asked him over my shoulder.

"You'd look great in anything," he replied.

"That doesn't help me much," I complained.

"Wear whatever you want," he said.

I decided on my purple sweater dress and knee high black boots. I grabbed some black leggings from my drawer and went back into the bathroom to change. I put my hair up in a bun and put on a bit of eyeliner and mascara.

"How's this?" I asked when I walked back in the room.

Slendy appraised my for a moment, perhaps a bit longer than necessary. He cleared his throat. "You look, um... Hot."

I blushed. "Um, thank you," I mumbled. "Would you like some breakfast before we go? I think there's a box of pancake mix in pantry down stairs."

"And your parents and brother won't have a problem with the Slender man hanging around their kitchen?" he asked, raising his brow.

"They're not home," I assured him. "Mom and Dad are both off on business trips and Charlie's at a friend's house."

"Alright then, pancakes sound great," he said, and followed me down to the kitchen.

I paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to him, a thought striking me. "You _can_ eat human food, right?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Yes little one, I can eat human food."

I sighed in relief. "Good, cause we have a shortage of small children this morning."

I sensed him roll his eyes. "Go make the pancakes," he said.

I could feel him watch me as I cooked, but I didn't mind. It was strange to say, but I'd actually grown accustomed to the feeling of being watched over the past month and a half. When I was finished I set Slendy's plate down in front of him and sat down across the table from him with my own. We ate in silence, and when we were done I washed the dishes and put them away. "You ready to go?" I asked, grabbing my jacket.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he groaned. Taking my hand, he transported us to his house.

"What time are they arriving?" I asked as he opened the front door.

"Little borther!" Someone exclaimed and threw themselves at the Tall One. I quickly stepped aside as Slendy threw the person off of him and hissed.

"They're already here," he answered me in a dead voice.

The person who Slendy had just thrown to the ground stood up. He was extremely tall - about eight foot it seemed - and he wore a black suit with different colored polka dots and a red bow tie. There was a top hat on his head and a large grin plastered on his face. "It's so good to see you again brother!" exclaimed the Splendor man as he tried again to hug his younger brother.

"For the love of God, Splendor, get off of me!" Slendy yelled. I tried to repress a giggle. He grabbed my hand and shoved Splendy aside so we could actually make it into the house.

"Oh Sleeeendeeeer!" another voice trilled once we stepped inside.

"Shit," Slendy said, and I was surprised to hear him swear, this only being the second time I'd ever heard him do so. He let go of my hand to shove the tall faceless man in dark jeans and a brown sweater over a white dress shirt off of him. "Don't make me hurt you Trender," he threatened his eldest brother menacingly.

Trender man stepped back and took in the sight if his brother. "Oh Lordy, you're _still_ wearing that God awful suit? Slender, you soooo need help with your wardrobe," he scolded. Slendy face palmed.

Then Splendy seemed to notice me for the first time. "Oooh Slendy, who's this? Your newest proxy?" he asked, crouching to look at me.

"Lovely fashion senses! Just look at that sweater dress. And those boots! Fabulous darling," Trender said, also stooping to get a good look at me.

"No, she's not a proxy, she's um..." Slendy looked around frantically as if looking for an escape.

"Oh. My. God," Trender man said, pronouncing each word individually. "She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"

Splendy squealed. "Yay! Slendy's finally got a girlfriend! Oh, I thought this day would never come!" he cried and threw himself at the Slender man again.

Slendy yelled and grabbed Splendy with his tentacles, pulling him off of him. "No she's not my girlfriend!" he growled. "Not officially."

"Not 'officially,'" said Trender, making air quotations with his long fingers. Slendy started beating his head against the wall.

During all of this I just stood there watching all the chaos unfold. I had never seen Slendy loose his cool quite like this. Part of me wanted to be scared and the other part wanted to laugh my head off.

"You got a name boo?" Trendy asked.

"Um, Sky. Sky Steele," I said.

"What a pretty name!" said Splendor man.

"Thanks," I said blushing a little.

"Everything about you is pretty! Your name, your eyes, your face, your clothes. You're such a brave girl for dating my grouch of a brother," he said and I blushed even harder.

"WE'RE NOT DATING!" Slendor man roared.

"'Officially,'" said Trendy again with air quotations. "So tell me Sky," he said, leading me over to the couch and siting me down. He sat next to me and leaned forward anticipating the answer to whatever he was about to ask. "How long have you and my brother been together? Give me the details girl!"

"Trender I'm going to murder you," Slendy threatened.

His brother ignored him. "Have y'all kissed yet? Oh! How is he in bed?" I blushed furiously and my mouth gaped open, sputtering garbled nonsense.

The Slender man launched himself at Trender, wrapping his tentacles around his neck and knocking him to the ground. Trendy sprouted tentacles too and the two wrestled on the floor while Splendy stood over them, trying to break it up.

'Oh geez Sky, what have you gotten yourself into?' I wondered.


	17. Chapter 16

I was wishing I hadn't worn a dress so I could hug my knees to my chest for comfort. I was really feeling overwhelmed.

Splendy had managed to pull apart his brothers. Trendy was mourning over how his clothing was rumpled from the fight and Slendy was standing in the corner with his arms crossed and the air hanging dark around him.

"Oh come on guys, we're together! We should be happy!" Splendy tried to cheer up his brothers. "It's been decades, and this is how we act?"

"Give me another century or two without you and then we'll see how I act," Slendy mumbled almost childishly. Either the other two didn't hear him or they just decide to ignore him because neither answered.

Trendy was still being overdramatic about his clothes. "Ugh, I _so_ need a trip to the mall right now," he groaned.

I got up off the couch. None of the three myths noticed and I walked over to Slendy and put my arms around his waist, burring my head in his stomach. He looked like he needed a hug, and honestly I felt like I could benefit from one myself. He froze when I touched him, surprised out of his funk, then put his long arms around my shoulders. "Now do you know what I was talking about?" he whispered.

I nodded. "They're not _that_ bad," I said, "I just feel kinda... overwhelmed."

"Do you want to go home?" I could hear in his voice that he was reluctant to ask that question. He didn't really want me to leave.

"No, I told you. I've got your back," I said and smiled up at him.

He smiled back and tucked a strand of hair that had escaped my bun behind my ear. "Thank you," he said.

"No problem."

"Aw, look at them making googly eyes at each other Trender," said Splendy.

Slendy sighed. "I don't even have eyes you nitwit," he said exasperated.

"It's an expression brother."

"Yes, I know," he sighed.

"So how's life been? Still enjoying killing little children?" Splendy asked coming over and leaning against the wall next to us. He made a face when he said 'killing little children.' I could tell he was of my opinion on the subject. Slendy sighed. "What?" Splendy asked, "It was an honest question."

"It was the way you asked it," he said.

"Okay then, pretend I asked it a different way," Splendy persuaded him.

"Life has been... exceedingly well lately, actually" he answered slowly, holding me little tighter as he said it. I blushed. "And I actually haven't killed in three weeks."

That took me by surprise. "You haven't?" I asked, eyes wide. Three weeks ago today was the basement incident. Had he really not killed anyone sense?

"No, you don't like it," he told me.

"Wow," I said, "That's like, really awesome."

"It's unbelievable! A girl managed to change lil Slendy's heart!" Splendy exclaimed. "Is this the real life?" Then suddenly he let out an exaggerated, dramatic gasp...

... And started to sing.

"Is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy? Caught in a laaandslide, no escape from realityyyy!"

"Oh my God Splendor, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Slendy yelled and I couldn't help it. I busted out laughing.

"Open your eyes, look up to the skies and siiiiing!"

"Splendor, you're a disgrace to the family!" Slendy groaned.

"Says the guy who stalks children," Splendy stopped singing.

"And who doesn't even own his own high end fashion line in France," Trender said from the couch while busy examining his nails.

"What are you trying to say?" Slendy said coolly.

"Oh nothing," Trender waved his hand dismissively. "Sky, come sit. Talk. I'd love to get to know you a little better," he said.

"No more relationship questions!" Slendy hissed.

"Of course not brother. Not about your 'unofficial' one anyway," the eldest brother replied.

"What other relationships would you possibly want to know about?" the Tall One exclaimed.

Trender ignored him and reached over the couch with his tentacles and grabbed me around the waist. I squeaked in surprise as he plucked me from Slendy's grip and sat me down beside himself. The Slender man growled at having his girl taken away from him, much like a puppy who'd lost his favorite chew toy. That thought almost made me laugh out loud.

"So how did you two meet?" he asked almost instantly.

"I said no relationship stuff!"

"I didn't say anything about relationships!"

"You're leading up to it Trender, I can tell!"

"Oh _can_ you now?"

Splendor man sprawled across the love seat that was arranged adjacent to the couch and after whining at the other two to stop bickering, started singing Bohemian Rhapsody again.

Once again the room started crumbling into chaos as Trendy and Slendy seemed to be getting closer to a fight with each second and Splendy kept singing, apparently as his own way of blocking out the tension. I couldn't take it - I literally felt like screaming.

"WOULD EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE HELL UP?" Three pale faces all turned to me in shock. Apparently I did yell... At a group of men who could kill me faster than I could blink.

Oh crap.

* * *

**A/N: The song Splendor man was singing is called Bohemian Rhapsody and it's by Queen. Do not own. Just thought I'd put that out there ;)**


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Here I am again! And with two new chapters, just like TheCrazyPurpleJester asked ;D**

**LOL, I'm having so much fun with this story, and I just wanna thank everyone again for commenting and reviewing and following. You guys are the best and I promise to continue to do my best to update as often as I can :) There's only a few more chapters left, so don't stop reading now! I'm also tossing around the idea of a sequal after this story is over. Tell me what you think!**

**But anyway, for now, here's chapter seventeen! :D**

* * *

I started stammering. I'd even shocked myself. "I m-mean, uh, that wasn't wha- what I... Um... Shit..." I trailed off.

"Hm. Feisty," Trender commented. Pause. "I knew there was something I liked you!"

"Oh, uh, thanks?" I was a little bewildered and still a little bit scared. Only a dumb ass like me would yell at a room full of Slenderfolk. I wasn't dead yet though and Trender at least seemed to forgive me, so I was guessing that was a good sign.

I glanced at Splendor and he cocked his head at me curiously, reminding me so much of his brother. He didn't look mad either though, so I turned my gaze to Slendy.

He was looking at me funny and for a moment I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but then he stooped and kissed me on the top if my head. "You never fail to surprise me little one," he said. His brothers started cracking jokes, but he silenced them with a look.

I felt better now, knowing my life wasn't about to end. That's always a nice feeling, you know?

"_Anyway_ Sky," Trendy said, "you didn't answer my question a moment ago."

"Well, we met in the woods," I said.

Trendy stared. "Go on," he prompted, unimpressed.

"I was deer hunting."

"Ew, please tell me you weren't wearing camo!" he begged. "That look was out so long ago, it's practically been mummified."

I glared at him, a little offended. I loved camo. "Says the guy wearing a grandpa sweater," I snapped.

Trender was in his feet in a flash, "Oh no you did not," he hissed.

The Slender man busted out laughing behind me. I didn't think I'd ever seen him laugh like that. Splendy nearly fell off the love seat he was laughing so hard as well.

Their laughter seemed to fuel his temper even more. "This style is_ it_ girly, and it was designed by yours truly!" Trendy almost snarled.

I put my hand over my mouth to hide my smile. "Would have been better in camo."

"Human!" the Trender man warned. Like his youngest brother, he seemed to get taller the angrier he got. He must have been almost ten feet tall now. He was looming over me, having to stoop slightly to keep his head from hitting the ceiling. I'll admit though, it was a little ominous. That didn't stop me from saying what I did next though.

"Oh, and some crocs."

"OH FUCK NO!" Trender screeched.

Slendy scooped me up in his arms before Trendy could strangle me and mutter the laws of fashion over my corpse. "My, would you look at the time! I'd better be taking you home little one," he said quickly.

I just barely managed to squeak out a farewell to the fuming pale man in his 'designer' sweater and the other pale man in a polka dot suit before the scene changed and it was just Slendy and me in my living room.

Slendy spun me around in a circle, hugging me close. He was laughing out loud. "Sky, you just made my day - no, my century," he said, nuzzling his face against mine.

"Am I going to have to worry about Trender coming to kill me now?" I asked.

"No, he'll be over it by tomorrow," he assured me.

"I dunno, he looked pretty pissed," I said.

"Yes, he did, didn't he?" Slendy had a huge grin plastered on his face that reminded me slightly of the Splendor man's goofy smile. I decided that would not be a good observation to voice, however.

Slendy crushed his lips to mine and kissed me before swinging me in another circle. He laughed again.

"You're in a really good mood," I commented a little dizzy.

He flopped down on my couch, still holding me so I was laying on top of him. "Indeed," he said. "You, my little Sky, just insulted my brother. You have no idea how hilarious that was to me. It's when you do things like that I realize just how much I love you."

I froze the moment he said the words 'I love you.' He felt me go ridged in his arms, and realized a split second later why. He actually blushed.

"Oh dear. I just said that out loud, didn't I?" he asked, his voice tense.

"That you love me? Um, yeah I'm pretty sure you did," I said, also blushing. Wow. So the Slender man was in love with me. What a humbling thought.

'You're screwed woman,' my subconscious laughed at me. Love was a scary word.

"Did you... really mean that?" I asked him shyly.

He was silent for a moment, completely serious now. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. I mean everything I say," he said slowly as if picking his words carefully.

"Oh, okay," was my simple reply.

Awkward silence.

I knew he was waiting for me to say I love you too, but I wasn't sure I was ready. Slender men, child killers, and teenage rapists I could handle. Love? That was a whole other ball park.

Love was scarier. It had the power to give you everything you'd ever wanted, and then take it away. Love could make you feel like you were someone special, and then when it was gone would leave you feeling worthless. Love was a weapon. It was too easy to destroy someone in love. Love made you narrow minded and weak. It made you do stupid things that you'd regret for rest of your life.

I couldn't afford to be weak.

I cleared my throat and decided to change the subject. "How long are your brothers staying with you?"

Slendy took a moment before responding as if his mind was somewhere else and it took him a couple seconds to catch up with the conversation. "They leave Monday," he answered distractedly, his expression unfathomable. The subtle hint of sadness in his voice made me wonder if I'd hurt him by not telling him I loved him. I dismissed the thought quickly. I wasn't going to say it, so it wouldn't do me any good to dwell.

"Would you like me to come over again tomorrow then?" I asked.

His face was emotionless still. "If you wish."

I kissed him softly. "I do wish," I said, "so long as you want me there."

A ghost if a smile broke his impassive gaze. "I will always want you my little one," he said.

"Good, 'cause you'd have a hard time getting rid if me by this point," I teased, trying to lighten the mood again.

"Oh really?" His smile was genuine this time, if not still a tiny bit sad.

"Yep, so don't try any funny business Mister!" I smiled back warmly.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He kissed me. "I should be going," he said. He lifted me off of him and stood, setting me on my feet. He lifted my hand and bowed to brush my knuckles with his lips. "Good night my little one," he said farewell.

"Good-" I started to say, but he was already gone. "-night...

...I love you," I whispered to the empty house.

Shit. I just said it, didn't I?

My subconscious laughed at me. 'You're screwed woman," she said again.


	19. Chapter 18

Slendy was right, by the next morning my fashion sins were forgiven and Trendy no longer seemed to want to see me burned at stake.

Splendy was his normal bubbly self, nearly crushing the life out of me when he engulfed me in a hug, surrounding me with his long arms. "Yay! Sky's here again!" he squealed.

Slendy was still acting a bit off, but it was so subtle it wasn't even detectable to his brothers. I saw it though, and it ate at my heart I little. I really hurt him, didn't I?

Sunday was less eventful than Saturday at least, however that wasn't saying much. Splendy and I had to break up several fights between the oldest and youngest, and then I refereed on my own a couple times when Slender man tried to put Splendor man out of his - or rather our - misery.

At least I was smart enough that day not to start any fights if my own.

That evening the two older brothers finally said their goodbyes and took their leave. The silence in the old house following their departure was unnatural after the past two days. Slendy collapse on his couch and threw his arm over his face. "Thank God that's over," he sighed in relief.

I sprawled in the love seat with my legs kicked over the arm. "Yeah, I'd forgotten what quiet sounded like."

"Mhm," he agreed.

We didn't really talk much for a while - Slendy was in a reclusive mood it seemed. Awkward chit chat seemed to be the best we could manage.

Inwardly I sighed. Apparently we needed to talk about last night - something that I would be happier just forgetting about for the time being.

"Slendy...?"

"Yes?"

I chickened out. "You know, you should think about getting a TV for in here."

He looked amused. "I'd never get to watch it," he said.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say electronic devises and myself don't get along," he said.

"Okay?" I said a little confused.

"My... aura affects electric currents and intercepts radio and waves," he explained. "Televisions, cellphones, computers, and radios turn to static when I'm around them."

"Really?" I asked. I occurred to me then that I hadn't tried to use any of those objects before while I'd been with Slendy. I dug in my pocket for my cellphone and clicked it on. The screen was solid snow and a buzzing was emitting from the speaker. "Wow, I bet that gets really inconvenient at times," I said.

He chuckled. "I was around before all that existed anyway, so it doesn't really affect me to not have it at my disposal."

I stared at him wide eyed. "Wow, exactly how old are you, anyway?" I asked.

He still seemed amused. "Don't worry about it little one," he said.

"No, seriously, how old are you?" I asked again, intrigued.

"Older than you can probably comprehend."

"That's not really an answer."

He didn't reply.

Monday came around and before I knew it another week had passed as Friday was staring me in the face again. Slendy and I still hadn't talked about "it," but his mood had finally started to improve. At least until I told him that I had plans Friday night.

"Plans with whom?" he said a little chilly.

"Drew, Mariah, Jackson, Joanna," I counted off. I said Jackson's name a little quicker, kind of hoping he might not notice.

"Jackson?" he growled.

Okay so maybe I wasn't as slick as I thought.

"Yeah," I said trying to sound nonchalant.

"And what will you be doing with Jackson?" Why was he so angry? It's not like this was a date. It wasn't even just the two of us!

"We're gonna go see the new Paranormal Activity," I said, maybe with a little more ice in my voice than I had intended.

He stopped for a moment, amusement flickering across his blank face.

"What?" I asked bemused. Was he mad or not? 'Make up your mind!' my thoughts scolded him.

"I guess it shouldn't surprise me that you're going to go see a scary movie," he said.

That got a smile out of me. "Oh yeah, I love scary movies," I told him.

"Why?" He raised his brow.

"Because," I said stepping forward and grabbing the front of his jacket, "I like scary things." I stood on my tip-toes, reaching for a kiss. He bent his head to meet me half way.

Kissing the Slender man still thrilled me, even after all these weeks. When we kissed, I could feel the emotion and passion and power. The aura that surrounded the tall man would fill my senses, but not in the same way it did when he was angry. When he was mad it was like being filled with a swarm of hornets that buzzed in your ears and stung your insides. They ate at your mind, dousing you in pain and corrupting your thoughts until the pain turned to nothingness, numbness, emptiness.

This version of his power - it was more like butterflies. They brushed against my eardrums and rested on my heart. They fluttered in my stomach, gossiping together in hushed whispers. They sang old love songs and quoted Shakespeare: 'If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it.'

Instead of pain and nothingness, I found my being filled to the brim with emotion. My very soul screamed with longing - longing for this tall, pale man. This tall, pale man that wasn't even human.

Kissing him overwhelmed my senses and left me soft as jelly in his capable grip. When his hands would tangle themselves in my hair and when he would press me closer to his slender form it was as heady a drug as marijuana - not that I knew what being high off marijuana felt like...

When we kissed it didn't matter so much that he was peeved with me, it didn't matter that I was scared of falling in love, and it didn't matter that I was a human and he was the Slender man. I was his, and he was mine. That's all that was important.

I sighed and threw my arms around my Slendy's neck, reveling in the feeling of belonging to this man. Yes, so maybe I was falling in love against my will. To hell with it. If I was already damned, I was gonna enjoy everything I could before the walls came tumbling down.

I had always wanted to go out with a bang.

* * *

**A/N: That Shakespeare Quote is from "Twelfth Night" by the way, one of my all time favorite Shakespeare plays. ;)**


	20. Chapter 19

We walked out of the theater into the dark night. The mid December air was chilly and the wind bit at my nose and cheeks. The atmosphere whispered the threat of snow. I looked up and down the streets and admired the Christmas lights that twinkled in the trees and behind shop windows. It surprised me to realize that Christmas was just over a week from now. My how the time had flown.

The city was beautiful. It never failed to take my breath away - especially at night. The lights and the life that thrived here fascinated me. I wasn't by any means a small town girl who was easily impressed by the bustling big city, but I could admire beauty.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Jackson asked as he came to stand next to me, reading my mind it seemed.

"Yeah," I sighed dreamily.

He put his arm around my shoulder casually. Just as casually I shrugged out of his embrace. I think he pretended not to notice. "How'd you like the movie Sky?" he asked.

"It was awesome," I said with wide, excited eyes.

He grinned at me. "Glad you enjoyed it."

"Are you kidding? It scared the living hell out of me!" Joanna whined as she came to stand next to her brother.

"Me too," Mariah said in her soft, mouse-like voice.

Drew was grinning like Jackson and me. "Personally, I loved it," she said with a shrug, tossing her long, platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. "So what now guys? Dinner?" she suggested.

"Lead the way," I said.

The four of us ended up at a small hole-in-the-wall place called 'Papa Jay's.' The food was good and the restaurant was cozy. We talked for a long time - about the movie, other friends, and life in general. All the while I tried to ignore the prickling sensation at the back if my neck. It was a sensation I'd become quite familiar with.

My phone told me it was just after midnight by the time we left the restaurant. Mariah squeaked and frantically mumbled that she was past curfew. She quickly said her goodbyes and made her way back to her little blue Volkswagen Beetle. Poor Mariah had some of the strictest parents I'd ever heard of. I didn't blame her at all for taking off so quickly.

I started to say something about taking off ourselves, but Jackson interrupted me. "Hey, I know where we should go," Jackson said excitedly.

"Hm?" Drew inquired.

"There's this great club not too far from here," he told us remaining three.

"But we're all underaged," I said.

Drew sighed in agreement. "And we don't have any fake IDs," she pointed out.

"Trust me, you won't need them," he promised.

I shot him a dubious look, but we followed him regardless. Joanna wasn't questioning him, so I assumed she knew what was going on too.

The club seemed a little shady. Most of the letters in the neon sign weren't lit so I couldn't quite make out the name. As we approach the bouncer, my muscles clenched in anticipation for having to run for it when he asked for ID. But like Jackson had told us, he didn't ask for them. As we passed, I saw him slip the guy a bill. Hm. Bribery.

"They don't really care about minors here, as long as the cops don't get involved," Jackson yelled over the music that boomed around us once we were inside. "As long as we pay, we're in."

The four of us made our way over to the bar. I hung back as Jackson and Drew ordered drinks. "What'll you have Sky?" Joanna asked as she stepped forward.

I hesitated, not sure if drinking was a good idea. Sure, I'd had alcohol before, but very little and never in public. 'You shouldn't be drinking at all you underaged delinquent fool!' my subconscious nagged me. Though I knew she was right, I brushed her aside. There was nothing wrong with having a little fun with friends I guess...

An hour later I was out on the dance floor, my fourth drink in my hand and a goofy grin plastered across my face. Drew was next to me on her fifth drink, and Jackson was waiting next to the bathroom for his sister to come out. She hadn't handled her liquor well.

The music filled my head, pounding against the inside if my skull, and every thing I saw was a blur. Okay, so this was fun. I could see what everyone was talking about now.

My subconscious had long since fallen silent. The more alcohol I consumed, the quieter and quieter the voice in the back of my head became until it became just white noise. The pricking feeling of being watched had never left me though. However, I found it easier to forget about now.

Jackson came over and leaned close to Drew to yell something in her ear. I couldn't make out what he said, but a second later she leaned over to me an yelled, "I'm gonna go check on Joanna!"

"Kay!" I yelled back, but she was already moving through the crowd towards the restrooms.

Jackson grabbed me around the waist as the song changed. "Dance with me," he demanded.

I wiggled out if his grip, downed the last of my drink, and set the empty glass aside. I sauntered back to Jackson. And put my hands on his shoulders. "Take it away," I said. He grinned at me like Christmas had come early. A sleepy voice in the back of my mind mumbled that this was a bad idea, but I ignored her. We danced for a couple of songs, zigzagging our way across the dance floor. I didn't realize that Jason was leading me outside until I suddenly found myself in the cold air of the little courtyard off the side of the club. Our breath blew out in puffs in front of our faces and a few snowflakes drifted around us. My intoxicated mind was confused. Why where we outside?

He must have seen the question in my expression. "Sky, I wanna talk to you," Jackson said softly. The music wasn't nearly as loud out here, eliminating the need to yell.

Oh shit.

"'Bout what?" I asked, my words a little slurred.

"You know, I like you."

I didn't like we're this was going. I dropped my hands from his shoulder and tried to step back but he reached out and grabbed my wrists to keep me in place. "Jackson," I said pleading.

"Sky, just face it. We'd be great together," he said pulling me closer. I tried to back away again but he wasn't having any of it. "It's time you found someone. I know you don't have a boyfriend right now. So why not me?" His voice was smoldering and his face was just inches from mine. His breath was hot in my face and reeked of alcohol. I didn't like that smell. I liked peppermint.

"Please don't do this. You're drunk," I whispered. I tried to push him away but he had me too tight, and lets face it - the alcohol had definitely made my body less responsive. My mind was in a panic. 'No! Not this! I don't want this!'

"Which is why I finally have the balls _to_ do this," he said and crushed his lips against mine.

I almost screamed as a feral sounding growl ripped through the air behind me.


	21. Chapter 20

Jackson's lips left me in an instant and I gasped aloud. He stared behind me with a look of pure fear. "The fuck-" he started to exclaim but was cut off as a black tentacle wrapped around his neck and slammed him against the wall. The Slender man was suddenly there, standing between me and my friend. Jackson dangled in his grip, his back against the wall and almost five feet off the ground.

Slender leaned towards him, his face right in front of Jackson's. I could feel the power - that bad aura - emanating from the Tall One. He was positively livid. He hissed, low and long, still staring Jackson in the eye.

Jackson was slowly growing still as his body was beginning to miss the air and blood that was restricted by Slendy's tentacle. His eyes were round in horror.

"Stop!" I screamed, tears burning at my eyes. He ignored me. "Slendy, please stop it!" I begged. Warmth soaked my cheeks as the tears started to fall rapidly.

I reached up and grabbed his arm - really the only part of him I could reach _to_ grab, considering he was almost fifteen feet tall - and yanked with all my strength, trying with all my might to get his attention. The longer he continued to ignore me, the less life that was left in Jackson's body.

"SLENDER!" I screeched.

His head jerked to the side and he glowered down at me. Okay, progress. At least he was acknowledging me. I withered under is burning gaze.

"Please," I sobbed, "please don't kill him."

"Why?" His voice was harsh and cold and laced with malice and anger. I was scared. The last time I'd heard him use that tone, he'd massacred a basement full of teenage boys. It was a killer's voice.

"Because he's my friend!" I cried.

"Do your _friends_ normally try to shove their tongues down your throat after trying to get you drunk?" he sneered vehemently. He was speaking so fast that I had to really focus through the haze to hear what he was saying.

I was shivering, though whether from the cold or the fear I couldn't tell. "He's drunk too. He wouldn't have done that otherwise," I tried to reason. Jackson hung in Slendy's grip, unconscious. I only had a matter of seconds. I was panicking. I had to get him to let go! The alcohol was clouding my thoughts, keeping the inspiration I so desperately needed at bay. 'Fuck!' Suddenly, without even think about the enormity of the words I was about to say, I blurted out the only solution I could think of.

"If you kill him, I'll leave you."

Slender froze. So did I. Did I really just threaten the Slender man? 'Oh shit.'

Besides, would I - _could_ I really make myself leave him? I thought about leaving him and a pain shot through my chest, striking me in my heart. I realized in that instant that I needed him more than I'd ever known. 'BUT HE'S KILLING JACKSON!' my subconscious screeched at me. Would I be able to forgive him if he murdered my friend right before my eyes?

'I don't think so, but...' my hesitation scared me. Was I really so selfish? I valued my relationship more than this boy's life? 'Of course not... I think.'

What would I do without him? Whatever I had done before him I guess. Somehow, I didn't think I could go back to that though. These past several weeks - they'd altered my life so much. Everything we'd been through together had opened my eyes to the world.

It was like looking at the stars. They were pretty to look at, interesting to think about, and always there, but you take them for granted. Then one night a meteor streaks across the sky, trailing purple and green and blue light behind it. It's so beautiful. You widen your eyes to take it in - it's illuminated the night word around you, bathing everything in its unearthly glow. Just as quickly as its appeared, suddenly it's gone. You stand there staring up at the sky, but the light of the meteor has blinded you to the night. Its image is burned in your retina. You know the stars are still there, but you can't see them anymore. Those stars that were always there before are lost to you now. Now you wished you had never taken them for granted.

Those stars where my life before the Slender man. It was a good life, but I never stopped to think and open my eyes. The I met _him_, and my world caught on fire. I'd never felt such adventure, such life. It was like being reborn. It was like getting back the open minded view of the world you had when you were a child. Everything was so new - so thrilling. If I left him... I didn't think I'd be able to see the stars anymore. His light had blinded me. The mundane world I'd lived in all my life wouldn't be enough for me anymore. I'd leaned too much, seen too much, felt too much.

I'd be lost without him.

All these thoughts passed through my head in just a split second.

"Put him down," I commanded in a whisper.

Slowly - so slowly I wasn't sure if he'd be free in time to save his life - Slendy put Jackson on the ground and retracted his tentacles. He was staring at me, his expression unfathomable. "Sky..." In his voice I heard things I'd never wanted to hear from my strong, powerful Slender man - unspeakable amounts of sorrow and pain. And fear. Fear of loosing me?

Wow. He really did love me, didn't he?

I couldn't meet his gaze, but went over to Jackson and knelt so I could check his pulse. Thank God, he was still alive. I felt Slendy's gaze on me the whole time. "Shit, how am I gonna explain all this to him when he wakes up?" I complained.

"He won't remember anything," he said softly.

"How do you know?"

"I erased his memory." I gaped up at him in shock and awe. "Another one of my many talents," he said. There was no humor in his expression or voice. He sounded so... dead.

I felt bad for my threat, now that Jackson appeared to be alright - especially since he wouldn't remember a thing.

I just kept making stupid mistakes! Going to the movies with Jackson: mistake. Getting drunk: mistake. Dancing with Jackson: mistake.

Not telling Slendy I loved him: mistake... Threatening to leave him: mistake...

I just kept hurting him...

What the hell was wrong with me?

I tried to stand up. I needed to fix those mistakes - now - but when I tried to get my feet under me, the ground suddenly came spiraling towards my face.

"Oh!" I squeaked as Slendy caught me just before I hit the concrete. Damn alcohol. Being drunk wasn't fun anymore. I looked up into his face, I don't know what my own expression looked like, but whatever he saw in my features made him tilt his head curiously.

"I was bluffing," I blurted.

"Excuse me?" His voice was still dead.

"I wouldn't have left you."

His expression finally changed, but not necessarily for the better. It darkened considerably and I could feel the tension rolling off of him. Oh shit, he was mad.

"That... That was a very..." He struggled for words.

"Bitchy thing for me to do?" I offered.

He sighed. "Yes," he growled.

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly and gently caressed his cheek.

"I was so scared." He said it so low that I wasn't sure I'd heard him right. Slendy? _My_ Slender man? Scared? Surely not. "When you said you'd leave me... I... A part of me died." His voice was husky with emotion.

"Slendy..." I didn't like seeing him like this - seeing him in pain like this - and knowing it was my fault. I was the cause of his pain.

He shook his head. When he spoken again the urgency and need in his voice was overwhelming. "Don't leave me Sky!" he begged desperately.

"Hey, hey," I said softly, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I couldn't live without you little one." He still sounded anguished.

"You won't have to," I promised.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

He froze. If he had had eyes, they would have been wide in shock. "Really?" he whispered with a voice full of hope.

"Yes."

There was a pause for a moment, and then he was kissing me passionately, pouring all the anger and fear and anguish he'd felt in the past hour. I responded eagerly to his touch, surrendering myself to him. I was his, he was mine, and I loved him.

I loved him.

The rest of the night was a blur. I called a taxi to take Jackson, Joanna, and Drew home. The girls were both too wasted to drive and Jackson was still unconscious. I told them he'd just past out from drinking a bit to much and they believed me.

"Whada 'bout Jackson's car?" Joanna slurred as she climbed very ungracefully into the cab.

"I'll get it home," I promised.

"But your drunk too," Drew protested sleepily. She had ridden with me to the theater, so luckily we didn't have her truck to worry about.

"I have a friend who'll drive," I said and shut the door, cutting off any questions as to who the friend was.

As I approached my 'friend' who was waiting between my parked car and Jackson's I imagined him actually driving. His long legs and arms crammed in that tiny space - it was comical.

"Can you actually drive?" I asked with a giggle. He raised his brow at me.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

Oh crap.

I think I passed out on the ride home, cause that was one of the last things I remembered. Slendy must have gotten me and my car home safely though, put me to bed, and then gone back to get Jackson's. Apparently he could drive.

I awoke just a bit when Slendy climbed in bed beside me about three am. He wrapped his long arms around me and hugged me to him. His lips brushed my hair. "Good night my little Sky. I love you." My response was a garbled mess from sleep, but you could just barely distinguish my reply.

"I love you too."


	22. Epilogue

The apartment was bathed in early morning sunlight. It was sparsely furnished with just the basic essentials: kitchen appliances, TV, couch, bed, dresser. Most of the interior was light and airy, painted in pastels and degrees of off white. With the big windows in the living room, the light colored walls made the space feel enormous.

The bedroom was darker than the rest of the place. It was painted in shades of black and grey. Red curtains were open, letting in the light from the window. The bed against the center of the back wall was huge - a California king.

It had been a gift.

On the floor of the bedroom beside the right side of the bed lay a pair of shiny black dress shoes, a midnight black suit jacket, white button up shirt, and a blood red tie. On the left side lay a black pencil skirt, purple blouse, and black pumps- my work clothes from yesterday - carelessly thrown aside.

These were the surroundings I awoke to every morning, and had been awaking to for almost two years now.

I fluttered my eyes open, blinking away the sleep and smiled. It was Saturday - that meant no work today. I snuggled closer to the very tall man next to me, nuzzling my nose against the bare skin of his chest. His skin was so soft, it was more like fabric than flesh.

He stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake. He looked so peaceful when he slept. So innocent. I lightly kissed his cheek and climbed out of the giant bed he had given me as a housewarming gift when I'd first moved in.

I picked his white shirt up off the ground and put it on to cover myself. It was so big on me, it hung to almost my knees. It always amused him when I wore his shirt, and frankly I liked it simply because it smelled like him...

I set about making breakfast. I plugged my iPod into the stereo and listened to some Skrillex while I scrambled eggs and heated the griddle for pancakes.

My boyfriend came wandering out of the bedroom just as I was setting plates out at the breakfast bar. He was wearing only his dress slacks. I paused and looked at him in appreciation. For being so tall and thin, he really was quite muscular. My eyes skirted over his defined torso and then went up to met his gaze. He was smirking at me.

"Like what you see little one?"

"Always," I smiled.

He chuckled. "You're wearing my shirt again," he observed.

"Mhm. You like it?"

He came around the breakfast bar and pulled me into his arms. "You know I do," he said and kissed me.

I giggled. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes ma'am," he grinned and released me.

This was my life now, and it was perfect. I lived with this gorgeous, powerful, intelligent, deadly man and he made me happier than surely was legal. Sure, we had our ups and downs, but what relationship didn't? We always got through it. Besides, we had a little more to learn than most couples. This was my life with the Slender man. He loved me and I loved him. End of story.

The odds of a happily ever after seemed to be more than just a slender chance.

* * *

**Ta-da! The end! I hope you all enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I thank you all for all the reviews and support. Probably would have never made it to the end without y'all ;D I just hope you all had as much fun reading as I did writing!**

**Please dont fret that the stroy's over, cause guess what? *drum roll* I'm doing a sequal! It's called "A Slender Child" (hmmm, I wonder what ****_that_**** could be about? 0.0) and I'm posting the prologue today, so please check it out!**

**Thanks again to everyone who stuck with it till the end! Love y'all!**

**- Erin**


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